I Won't Be a Loser

The large appliances Haruto had purchased yesterday were delivered to his apartment this morning. After asking the delivery staff to help move them inside, he signed the paperwork.

Standing in front of his brand-new washing machine and refrigerator, Haruto decided to start his first load of laundry. He gathered the clothes he had left in the bathroom overnight and got to work.

_ _ _ 

"Setsuna? Setsuna!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

The sudden call from her friend snapped Kiyoura Setsuna out of her daze. She turned to Saionji Sekai, who was sitting beside her, her face puzzled.

"You've been spacing out this whole time. You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

Still sore from their visit to the zoo yesterday, Sekai had decided to take it easy and stay home. But being cooped up quickly became unbearable, so she came over to Setsuna's house for a visit.

However, something was clearly off with Setsuna today. She had been distracted and absentminded, even as they tried to chat. Sekai couldn't help but feel curious and concerned about what was preoccupying her friend.

"Maybe I'm just tired from yesterday," Setsuna offered as an excuse. "I feel a bit out of it today. Oh, right—you mentioned before that you were thinking about applying to Sakitama Girls' High School. Why did you end up at Sakaki Academy instead?"

"Because it's closer to home. Besides, didn't you also choose Sakaki Academy?"

"That's true."

The mention of Sakaki Academy brought back the memory of yesterday's encounter. Setsuna's emotions stirred uneasily. The school she had once been so excited about now felt far less compelling.

Sekai, who had been observing her friend closely, noticed the subtle conflict in her expression. Her curiosity deepened. What could be troubling Setsuna so much?

"Wait a second... Setsuna, do you have a crush on someone?" Sekai asked, testing the waters.

The question struck like lightning. Setsuna's pale face turned crimson in an instant. Her gaze darted away from Sekai's prying eyes, and she quickly denied it.

"N-no, it's not like that."

Sekai's eyebrows raised, her interest piqued even more. The girlish shyness of her usually composed friend made her heart race with excitement.

Girls and romantic gossip went hand in hand, after all. For someone like Setsuna, who had always seemed indifferent to boys, this reaction was groundbreaking.

The budding spark of affection made Sekai's inner gossip-loving nature spring to life.

Scooting closer inch by inch, Sekai leaned in until she was right beside Setsuna. The sweet scent of her friend's shampoo wafted into her nose as she lowered her voice to a teasing whisper.

"So, what kind of person is he~?"

Setsuna flinched, her body stiffening as she avoided Sekai's mischievous gaze. She kept denying it, trying to explain away her behavior.

"It's not what you think. I only met him once. He's the same age as me, but he lives on his own nearby. I was just curious, that's all."

Despite the shame of being cornered, Setsuna worked hard to keep her tone steady, hoping to downplay her feelings.

"Oh, so it was love at first sight?" Sekai teased with a grin. "Who would've thought our little Setsuna could fall for someone!"

Her delicate fingers poked at Setsuna's soft, flushed cheek, unable to resist teasing further. Before Setsuna could react, Sekai wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders and leaned her face against Setsuna's.

With a mischievous glint in her eyes and a low, coaxing voice, she pressed for more details.

"Come on, tell me more about him~!"

"He lives nearby, doesn't he? Your neighbor? What kind of person is he? A handsome guy?"

Realizing there was no point in hiding anymore, Setsuna sighed softly. She reached up to remove Sekai's arms from around her shoulders, then picked up her cup of tea and took a small sip before answering.

"He's a student from Gifu who moved to Tokyo to attend school. Last night, my mom decided to visit him to greet our new neighbor, but something unexpected happened..."

Setsuna briefly recounted the events of the previous evening. Sekai, who had been listening intently, looked a bit disappointed once the story concluded.

She had anticipated a more dramatic or romantic twist, only to find the reality to be a relatively mundane misunderstanding. Still, it was enough to ensnare her friend's heart.

"So, this is what love feels like, huh? But from what you've said, he must be a very handsome guy."

"That's true," Setsuna admitted.

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know."

"Does he like anyone?"

"I don't know."

"All you know about him is his name and the fact that he lives alone, right? Nothing else?"

Setsuna nodded helplessly. By this point, thanks to Sekai's pointed questions, she had come to terms with her feelings. Yes, she had a crush on Miyamizu Haruto, but she knew almost nothing about him.

Seeing the faint disappointment in her friend's eyes, Sekai suddenly clapped her hands together and stood up. Under Setsuna's puzzled gaze, Sekai patted her chest confidently.

"Leave it to me! As your friend, how could I sit back and do nothing? He's new to Tokyo, so he's probably unfamiliar with the area. What he needs is a friendly guide. I'll go gather some intel for you. You just wait here for my glorious return!"

Watching her enthusiastic friend spring into action, Setsuna felt conflicted. It didn't seem right to send Sekai to question Kento so directly. After all, she barely knew him.

"Don't worry!" Sekai reassured her, noticing the concern in Setsuna's expression. "I won't let him know I'm asking on your behalf. I'll just drop by as a friendly neighbor."

"Do you think I will steal the guy you like?"

"No way! But... are you sure this is okay?"

"Relax! Trust my social skills, Setsuna. Once I've skillfully gathered all the information, I'll come back and report everything to you!"

Sekai gave her a thumbs-up and headed toward the door.

Setsuna sat there, gripping her hands nervously as she watched Sekai's confident departure. A mix of worry and anticipation churned in her chest.

Click.

The door closed. Setsuna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Just as she was settling in to wait, hurried footsteps echoed outside her room.

Click.

The door swung open again. Sekai poked her head back in, looking slightly sheepish.

"By the way... I forgot to ask. Where does he live?"

"Apartment 201, Fuji Heights, across the street," Setsuna answered in a resigned tone.

"Got it! Be back soon!"

With that, Sekai disappeared again, leaving Setsuna alone.

Staring at the closed door, Setsuna clasped her hands tightly, her worry growing stronger.

"Will this really be okay...?"